The Chesterfield football history resource

An
England junior international, Herbert Hamilton (or "Duke," as he was
known since being a small boy) was a great servant to Chesterfield. A fine
hitter of a dead ball, he was the club's penalty-taker for two seasons, and was
an absolutely fearless back, never happier, it seemed, than when in the thick
of the action.

Born on the Wirral in 1906, Duke's early clubs were all from that Cheshire
district and included the same Harroby team that produced Harold Roberts. After
a spell on amateur forms at New Brighton he joined Everton in 1924 and made one
League appearance for them. Preston North End took him on in 1927 but only 22
League games came in a four-year association with the Deepdale side, and it
wasn't until The Spireites paid £250 for him in 1931 that his football career
really took off.

Reliable
and good-humoured, he became the idol of the crowd, and was granted a
testimonial (against Leicester City) in 1937.Having helped the Spireites pip
Tranmere to the Third (North) title in 1936,he returned to the Wirral to help
Rovers to their own promotion in 1938.In June 1948 he became coach to a Dutch
team, Zaandan FC, before emigrating to Canada in 1949. He was reported to have
died in Ontario in 1951, at the age of 45.